:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/JWITYTD6MFEMXBY5BVJV63YR34.jpg "Tiny Offices: what is the trend for micro-workspaces that span several neighborhoods in Buenos Aires?")
The pandemic has forced humans to alter patterns that until recently were impossible to think about. The health crisis that has bewildered the world has left lessons learned and issues that still need to be resolved so that various sectors can grow again. A recent trend resulting from this process is the expansion of offices called Tinyless than 100 square meters.
Business market properties have had to mutate to adapt to business demands, but it is still a segment that in Argentina has not fully recovered as has happened with commercial premises, which today show Today pre-pandemic occupancy levels, averaging 90% in most avenues of Buenos Aires and in the main cities of the country.
Marianne Stangeof the company of the same name, said GlobeLiveMedia that “the office segment is constantly changing, integrating a new concept such as Tiny offices. Spaces that invite teams to meet 2 or 3 times a week to co-create projects, put individual work on the table and socialize”.
Generally speaking, Tiny are spaces that have had to be adapted in large office buildings that are now beginning to be in demand because they have a surface area of less than 100 m2.
Offices that were sought after by SMEs and startups in the pre-pandemic era are now also desired by large-headcount companies deciding to move to more flexible spaces, decentralize and test new ways of doing business, say experts. to work.
But it should also not be confused that these are only large areas in buildings that can be subdivided, period.
“These are spaces located in strategic places, with unobstructed views and in some cases with their own balcony or terrace. They are present in category A or B buildings but with security and garages available,” Stange added.
How can they also be designed with easy-to-move furniture, good connectivity and contemporary corporate decoration that facility management companies (those who know how to manage and condition workspaces) or architecture studios can develop.
As in many cases teleworking is still a widely used alternative, office design experts demonstrate the need to come together for creative and follow-up meetings and also socializing, which isolation at work does not facilitate.
Stange, added that “these offices are an attractive option for these companies. In general, the interior design is made up of formal meeting spaces (meeting rooms) and informal (lounges, bar-type side tables, games rooms) that invite to share the work with a certain relaxation”.
In fact, there are buildings that are under construction in Buenos Aires and Greater Buenos Aires (especially in the northern area) where it is estimated that many of the brand new properties will have tiny spaces that can be rented out on a weekly basis. , month or year. .
Currently, the most demanded areas are Palermo, Belgrano and Núñez. The northern axis of the CABA has also been consolidated so that new companies and especially SMEs, professional and technological study laboratories, among others, can settle there.
The architect Roberto Baylac of the GNV group, said GlobeLiveMedia, that users of office buildings “demand new ways of operating in the real estate market, but above all that workspaces meet their needs. The typical facilities that still exist in downtown Buenos Aires have become obsolete. Users have changed their working habits and also their place of residence”.
Businesses and freelancers have begun to demand greater flexibility in workspaces and environments with better means of transport that minimize the impact of travel time.
“Palermo generated a vast infrastructure, maintaining its neighborhood appearance. It has been enriched by an incessant installation of bars and restaurants, becoming a unique center of attraction, both for living and for working,” Baylac expanded.
The values for renting the Tiny oscillate between 15 and 20 USD per m2. Contracts are mostly signed in pesos with semi-annual adjustments.
Micro-offices are a global trend. “Just like in the US and Europe, we are seeing large companies returning to their properties with a hybrid 3 x 2 scheme (3 days face-to-face and 2 virtual) and many of them have made investments of several million dollars to condition their spaces seeking to generate user-friendly environments that invite people to come back. Meanwhile, other companies are opting for the home office + Tiny combination. These latter are usually SMBs, studios and consulting firms,” Stange added.
Now a new building or a recently opened but still empty building can adapt the surfaces and turn them into Tiny. Indeed, real estate companies that work in the business market are in talks with landlords to try to get them to offer mini-workspaces in the short term.
For this, there are challenges and costs to invest. How to try to spend as little m2 as possible for corridors and make the most of the surface.
Ideally, each office should have its exclusive bathrooms. This involves significant work and investment, which is why in many cases it is decided to leave a battery of shared bathrooms.
“We are also in talks with residential developers to convert the use of works in progress in strategic areas, from studios or two rooms to micro offices. The important thing in these cases is that the business is rental, so we explain how our market works to investors used to doing so in housing. It is an excellent time for this migration of use given the stagnation of the residential rental market as opposed to the recovery of the office market,” concluded Stange.
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